I recently sat down with my Great Uncle and discussed his time in the war. Showing me some photos, a few pictures of an enemy ME-109 caught my eye. The following story caught my attentention. My GU served with the 742nd Bomber Wing out of Cerrignola, Italy as a top gunner aboard B-24's and B-17's. On a bombing run to Kploestiti oil fields and refineries one of the lead planes in my GU formation went down due to heavy AA fire. An officer aboard was able to bail out and make it to the ground safely. He was shortly captured and sent to a POW camp. There he met Ed Tinker, an officer also from my GU's base, who was anxious to return to his base in Italy. He managed to escape and steal a Massaretti sea plane, but had to return when it began to have engine problems over the Adriatic Sea. He returned and and was smuggled back by a Roumenian pilot in the emptied cubby (where the radio equipment had been removed) and was flown back to my GU's base in Italy. My GU was able to snap a few photos of the ME-109. Anyways, thought you guys would enjoy the story and photos because I know I sure did.
